Clemson’s first availability report for Friday night’s trip to California brings a few familiar names, plus a couple of new ones worth watching as kickoff gets closer.
The Tigers are entering the second week of ACC play, and this is the first mandated injury update ahead of the Week 4 matchup at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. Another report is due 24 hours before the game, with the final one coming on game day.
Some of the names already on the list were expected. Cade Klubnik remains probable as he continues working back from the elbow injury in his non-throwing arm that was aggravated in the first quarter against Georgia Southern.
Since then, true freshman Tait Reynolds has taken over at quarterback, and nothing about the last week suggests that will change soon. Reynolds led Clemson to a 28-20 comeback win over North Carolina last week, going 20-for-29 for 215 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Asked after the game whether Reynolds would stay in the role, Dabo Swinney answered with one word: "Absolutely."
The bigger development is the addition of starting nickelback Corian Gipson, co-starting defensive tackle Devarrick Woods and depth running back Jay Haynes.
Gipson is the most important of the three. He barely saw the field last week, logging only two defensive snaps, which stood out given how central he is to Clemson’s defense. Swinney said Tuesday that Gipson was “banged up” and “really limited” in practice before the game.
“He tried and just wasn’t quite ready,” Swinney explained. “He was really limited throughout the week. Just had a little tweak and just didn't really practice much, but thought he was going to be able to play in the game, and I think he went a series or so, and he just wasn't confident enough that he could that he could do what he needed to do."
That makes Gipson the injury situation to monitor most closely before Friday night. Swinney added that “he’s working his way” back, and if Gipson can’t play, redshirt junior Misun Kelley would likely step into the lineup. That would be a notable blow for a Clemson defense preparing to deal with quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and receivers Ian Strong and Chase Hendricks.
Woods is a tougher read because Clemson hasn’t said much at all about his injury, and there’s been no explanation for how it happened. Still, it could matter.
The Tigers have already lost three players at the position this year, and the group has underperformed. If Woods is unavailable, Champ Thompson should see more snaps, with Vic Burley also in line for a bigger role after recording a fumble recovery in his season debut against North Carolina.
Haynes is the final new name, and his situation sounds less urgent than the others. The redshirt sophomore hasn’t played this season. He first made his mark in 2024 as Phil Mafah’s backup, rushing for 295 yards and three touchdowns on 43 carries before tearing his ACL in the ACC Championship against SMU, which cost him all of 2025.
It’s unclear what he’s dealing with now or whether it’s tied to that knee injury, but Swinney said Haynes has been "on ice" and was recently re-evaluated.
“Jay Haynes has kind of been on ice,” Swinney said on Tuesday. “He had to get re-evaluated and he’s kind of working his way back. Got confirmation on what he’s dealing with but he’s still coming.”
For now, that’s the least concerning name on the report. Clemson already has a deep enough backfield to handle it, with Gideon Davidson coming off his first career 100-yard game last week and Jarvis Green, SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr. and David Eziomume all in the mix.
Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
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Clemson Heads To Its Next ACC Test With New Health Concerns
Clemson heads into its next ACC road test at California carrying a few more health questions than it would like this early in the week. The initial injury report lists multiple defensive starters as questionable, including nickel Corian Gipson and defensive tackle Devarrick Woods, a concerning note for a unit that has had to keep its depth in order as the season has moved along.
Gipson is still working back from a recent injury that limited his play, while running back Jay Haynes remains questionable as he recovers from an ACL tear. On the brighter side, quarterback Christopher Vizzina is listed as probable after dealing with elbow swelling, giving Clemson at least one key offensive piece a better chance of being available as it prepares for a long trip and another conference challenge. [Read more 🡒]
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Dabo Swinney then made it clear the reduced role for Johnson was not just a matter of game flow. He said Johnson was benched for not following the play scheme, even as the freshman continued to help on special teams, and he also pointed to issues up front and the lack of depth at running back. That leaves Clemson with one obvious emerging option and a few questions about how stable the rotation really is once the Tigers get into the heart of league play. [Read more 🡒]